This three-session course provides a fun and thought-provoking overview of Hinduism-–the religion and the culture—practiced globally by over 1.2 billion people. Hinduism is also prevalent in its diluted forms such as yoga and meditation. Part mythology, part philosophy, it is currently the only major religion that embraces God in multiple genders. Over millennia, Hinduism has evolved to include contradictory elements like the Kama Sutra and goddesses on one hand and repression and sexism on the other. The course uses multimedia, Socratic/Upanishadic discussion, and visits to a Hindu temple and an Indian restaurant.

Moderator: Rama "Ray" Nandyal is a lifelong student of comparative religion with degrees in physics, philosophy, and English literature. He was raised an orthodox Hindu but was a church-going Christian for much of his life. A retired telecom engineer and current teacher of yoga, he enjoys dealing with belief systems as beautiful collections of myth and metaphor a la Joseph Campbell.